Continuous envelope assemblies



March 15, 1949. I

' H. v. DAVIES CONTINUOUS ENVELOPE ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept. 15, 19421 l g if x l I 1 7 20 l 4 My 4 L :sis z s IN vezvTo R Patented Mar. 15, 1949 CONTINUOUS ENVELOPE ASSEMBLIES Herbert Vaughan Davies, Putney, London, England Application September 15, 1944, Serial No. 554,286

In Great Britain August 4, 1943 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to continuous envelope assemblies of the type in which a series of envelopes are interconnected in line for feedin in continuous strip form through a typewriter, addressing machine, franking machine or the like, the envelope openings being transverse to the lenth of the assembly. Such assemblies avoid the waste of time entailed when individual envelopes have to be separately manipulated in the machine.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved envelope assembly 'of the above type adapted for positive feeding through a writing machine equipped with pin-type feeding devices, for example of the kind described in British patent specification No. 408,125.

The present invention consists of an envelope assembly of the type described formed from a single blank, the flap portion of each envelope being integral with the back portion of the immediately preceding envelope of the series, and the assembly being provided with side marginal feeder bands each in the form of a succession of separate strips integral with or adhesively attached to the envelope sides, which feeder bands may be driven frictionally by friction wheels or by a feeding device of the pin typ in which case each band will be formed with a row of apertures for positive co-operation with pin-type (wheel or band) feeding devices.

In one arrangement according to the invention every part of each envelope is formed from and by a single continuous strip doubled upon itself at regular intervals to provide the envelope pockets. Conveniently with this arrangement theform the connected series of individual envelopes.

In the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 every part of each envelope of a consecutive series is formed from and by a single continuous paper strip which, at regular intervals throughout its length, is doubled upon itself to provide the envelope pockets, the openings to which are transverse to the length of the strip. In this arrangement the strip is divided transversely of its length into consecutive areas ll) of the same dimensions each constituting the blank for one envelope. Each envelope blank II] is divided transversely into three portions consecutive in the length of the strip, namely a'portion ll constituting the flap of the envelope, a front portion 12 and a back portion IS. The back portion [3 is formed with comparatively narrow side extensions or wings l4. The back portion is doubled upon the rear face of the front portion about the line l5, the wings I4 having previously been turned in. The wings 14 are secured to previously gummed areas H5 at the sides of the front portion. The inner face of the flap ll may be provided with a gummed area I! by means of which the flap may later be secured in the closed position in normal manner. Alternatively, the flap may be of the turned-in type in which case it is left ungummed. Each front portion is formed with side wing extensions l8 in which feed holes l9 are provided.

In making up the assembly ready for use, each flap portion II is doubled on to the back portion I3 of the preceding envelope of the series, as shown in Figure 2. It will also be seen from Figure 2 that in the assembly the perforated side wings l8 form in effect continuous feeder bands to co-operate with pin-type feeding devices. At each line of demarcation 20 between adjacent envelopes (i. e. the division line between the flapll of one envolope and the back portion l3 of the preceding envelope), the strip may be perforated so that after the continuous web has been passed through a typewriter or like machine the envelopes may be severed individually from the remainder of the web. The depth of each flap H is made equal to the depth of the envelope back I3, so that the continuous web may (prior to passage through a writing machine) be zig-zag folded, into the form of a pack, about the hinge lines 2| of the envelope flaps. In the above arrangement it will be appreciated that the flaps being of the same depth as the envelope backs, the whole of the front of each envelope is accessible for inscription. The perforated bands I8 may be cut away or stripped by any convenient mechanism as the web leaves the writing machine.

It is to be understood that in every arrangement according to the invention the envelope assembly comprises a series, of envelopes each complete in itself. That is to say, the formation of each envelope pocket by summing together overlying portions of the envelope fronts and backs, with the use of in-turned wing pieces, is effected in the initial manufacture of the assembly so that after passage of the latter through the writing machine all that remains to be done is to sever the individual envelopes from the remainder of the series, thereby providing com pletely pre-formed envelopes.

An envelope assembly provided by the invention may be passed alone through a Writing machine or it may form one element of a multiple set of forms including one or more continuous,

strips bearing successive form-printed areas on which data may be recorded at the same time as the envelopes are inscribed and including, if desired, strips of transfer material.

When an envelope assembly as described above is to be fed by means of friction wheels through various machines, instead of by a feeding device of the pin type, the perforations 19 in the feeder bands l8 may be omitted.

I. claim:

1. An envelope assembly of the class described comprising, an elongated strip consisting of a succession of alternating flap, back and front portions of the series of envelopes making up the assembly, integral lateral extensions provided on the front portions of the envelopes and apertured to form marginal feeder bands, and integral lateral extensions provided on the back portions of the envelopes and turned over on to the rear faces of the corresponding envelope fronts and secured thereto by adhesive.

2. An envelope assembly of the class described comprising an elongated strip consisting of a REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 722,038 Pidgeon Mar. 3, 1903 2,013,844 Sherman Sept. 10, 1935 2,304,523 Young Dec. 8, 1942 2,332,637 Heywood Oct. 26, 1943 2,332,638 Heywood "Oct. 26, 1943 2,342,702 Sherman Feb. '29, 1944 2,351,805 Bonnaire June 20, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS N umber Country Date 21,656 Great Britain July 19, 1 906 602,699 Germany Mar. 7, 1933 

